An Eternal Bond

Buggy

Ace got hungry, so we stopped by a bar. Obviously of his choice, but I didn't really care. As long as they didn't give me food poisoning, I was fine.

Well, maybe not.

"Would a fine lady like you want a drink? On me of course." I stared at the guy offering me a drink, possibly unaware of the Ace sitting next to me, shaking in fury.

"No thanks... I don't drink."

"Oh? I can get you apple cider."

I sighed. Does this guys know how to give up? "I'm really okay." He got closer, and I will say one thing: he wasn't attractive in any sense.

He looked like a pirate that's had scurvy more than once, and no doctor to treat it.

"Babe, why don't we go?" Ace suggested abruptly, taking my hand. He only calls me babe when he's jealous; it's like a "She's taken" kind of signal.

"Ow, Ace, you're—" His lips connected with mine, holding them there for a good ten seconds before moving back. "You're mine."

I sighed. "You get possessive when you're jealous." You pressed your finger against his forehead. "It's cute."

His face turned red and he looked away. "Anyways, now we don't have food to eat." I stared at him. "B-But you had like, three plates in there! And you didn't pay!"

Ace rolled his eyes and took my hand. "Come on, we'll just find somewhere else to eat."

"It's not like you're going to pay either way!"

He went to the boat and began sailing, as if he needed food in the next ten minutes. "Just go to sleep." He patted my head. "I'll wake you up when I find somewhere to eat."

While I didn't really trust what he just said, I left it at that and lied down.

•••

"Dang it, I shouldn't have fallen asleep!" I held onto the small boat's mass in search of Ace, though I knew where he was.

I approached the large ship, about to jump onto it when I heard,

"Why don't we just kill him? He's vulnerable!"

Out of instinct, I shot up into the air and then plummeted onto their ship, fire radiating from my back.

I stood up straight, a devilish grin on my face. "What a coincidence! I just so happened to find my beloved boyfriend on a foreign ship that wants to... What did you say again?"

I looked at one of the crew members dead in the eye. "N-Nothing! Nothing..." The crew stepped back.

"Anyways," I flicked my hair out of my face. "What was he doing on your ship?"

The captain, with a peculiar red nose, waved his hands in front of him. "Hey, hey! It's not like we kidnapped him or anything! He just showed up on our ship and fell asleep while eating!"

I tilted my head with fake suspicion on my face, but then giggled. "Oh no, I believe you! You'd never be able to kidnap one of Whitebeard's crew that easily."

The captain, actually, I think his name is Buggy according to the ship's sail, scoffed and looked away from me.

"Look, nobody is stupid enough to mess with one of Whitebeard's crew. Let alone two. He's the only one that's ever fought Roger and lived."

I tilted my head. "How'd you know that?"

"I met him a long time ago on the Grand Line."

"Oh, so you know Oyaji?"

All of us looked at the now awake Ace sweated on the deck's floor. "He's awake!!" One of the crew members exclaimed.

"Of course he is. You didn't think he died, did you?" Ace wrapped his arms around me. "There you are! I was hoping you'd come!"

I pushed away his face, rather gently. "You're the one that left me!"

Ace let go and lifted a beer glass. "Hey, don't let me stop you! It's a party right? Live it up!"

"He's right!" Buggy agreed. "It's a party!"

Like friends, Ace and the crew partied like they've known each other all their lives, while I sat with the only girl on the ship.

Her name was Alvida.

"You don't want a drink?" She asked, holding a beer in front of me. "Oh, no. My big brothers don't let me drink alcohol... Ace doesn't either."

Alvida chuckled. "So that's the life of Whitebeard's only daughter." I smiled. "I wasn't always the only one, but they all ended up leaving and starting their own crew."

"Ah, so you're the only one that stayed?"

"Well, I was never old enough to leave." I turned my glass, making the cider inside swish. "I joined when I was twelve. At first, it was a temporary thing, but then I ended up really liking it. The boys do act like big brothers, though."

"The protectiveness and everything?"

"Yeah! Once, we stopped by an island for supplies and some guy asked me for directions. But he ended up being scared off by all the tall pirate men standing behind me..."

Alvida laughed. "I don't blame him, though. You're a cutie." She gently pinched my cheek.

"Ehe... you really think so?"

Ace suddenly fell on top of me, his cheeks reddened and his words slurred. "Of course you are...! Look at you!" He lifted his finger and poked my forehead, thought he was aiming for my nose.

"Ace, are you drunk?" I asked, although I knew the answer already. Not that he'd answer honestly. "Of course not!" He practically yelled.

I looked up at Buggy, who was in similar shape. "Anyways, we'll be taking our leave now. We don't want to cause any trouble." I detached my hand and reattached it. "I'll take this, though!"

Alvida's eyes lit up once she saw what I had just done, then smirked. "I see. Well, I hope to see you again at some point."

I nodded and saluted with my two fingers, then falling back onto the boat. "Just sober up, Ace." I patted his head and stood up straight. "I'll be navigating for now."